Warhammer: Don't Call Me the God of All Machines

Chapter 869 The Heart of the Plague
“I can sense that the heart of the plague is hidden somewhere in this decaying corridor.”

"Those Bloodwalkers discovered it and used it as a foundation to create a giant research base."

Chagatai Khan's figure flashed like lightning, relentlessly destroying the ancient defensive weapons that had begun to awaken.

The Bloodwalkers Association certainly doesn't only possess a few bio-engineered monsters. Every statue and every spire in this giant research base may be hiding some unknown weapons.

Even the few legacies left behind by the ancient Spirit Empire are enough to cause terrible destruction.

It's important to understand that the Astartes brought by the Primarchs didn't have any heavy vehicles or siege equipment to utilize. Sending infantry to deal with the automated defense system would be a complete waste of lives.

They are not the Mortarion of yesteryear. The Death Guard during the Great Crusade era were most famous for their tough heavy infantry, and the reason for their fame was that the Mortarion were accustomed to using heavy infantry to solve all problems.

Whether it's rapid marches, sieges, or positional battles, Mortarian consistently employs heavy infantry assaults.

Each strike of Chagatai Khan unleashed a violent storm of psionic energy, like materialized blades of light, tearing the tall, ancient Eldar buildings to shreds.

When other ancient weapon arrays attempt to lock onto Khan, the Chogoris Warhawk will show them what true speed is.

Even the Aidalings, known for their incredible speed, were no different from slow-moving worms in front of Chagatai.

Some of the white-scarred Space Marines were also following their Primarchs. They stole a batch of Marauder motorcycles, Poison Disaster vehicles, and Raven fighters from the Dark Eldar and immediately took them into their own hands.

Thanks to the fact that the Dark Eldar cannot use psionic energy, the White Scars only need a little time to get used to these Eldar vehicles and will be able to use them quickly.

If those anti-gravity motorcycles were built by the Eldar, apart from a few psionic think tanks that could use them, the other White Scars simply couldn't control them.

"With the Emperor above, what a delightful experience!"

"To hell with these black bean sprouts!"

"Use the weapons of the Eldar to kill the Eldar, and let them reap what they sow!"

The white scars, combined with the Eldar's high-speed vehicles, were like wings to a tiger, making them even more adept at using the vehicles than the Eldar themselves could.

Most of the Dark Eldar are far less physically strong than the Astartes, which allows them to perform more incredible extreme maneuvers and push the performance of their vehicles to the limit.

The Eldar's Dark Spears and Disintegration Cannons fired relentlessly, and these extremely powerful ranged weapons quickly destroyed the Bloodlings' defensive system, leaving it ablaze in all directions.

Although the Bloodlings' defense system is formidable, strictly speaking, their combat experience is not particularly extensive.

In Comoros, even the most arrogant and ambitious person wouldn't be foolish enough to set their sights on the Bloody Fiends.

These masters of flesh and blood art hold an unparalleled position in the Comoros. Even if they have a bad relationship with the Bloodcrafters, no one would want to escalate the relationship to the point of hostility.

If you offend the Blood Spirits, don't expect to be resurrected, and don't expect to get your hands on the berserker stimulants that increase your combat power or the deadly poisons that silently kill your opponents.

Now, facing battle-hardened and fearless Space Marines, the Bloodlings' experimental base is being destroyed at a visible rate.

The Dark Angels on the ground were also advancing steadily. The First Legion was never short of weapons of mass destruction. Micro atomic weapons and singularity warheads plowed through the Bloodlings' experimental base almost like a thorough cleaning.

The dark angels don't care whether it's a defensive gate, a weapon tower, a hidden trap, or any other random thing in front of them; they simply burn everything in their path to ashes, letting the flames cleanse all filth.

The Bloodlings' bio-weapons were pouring in, but before they could even get close to Astartes, they were blasted into dust by saturation fire.

It has been proven that no matter what kind of biochemical modifications a carbon-based organism undergoes, it cannot withstand the damage from pure firepower.

If so, then the firepower is definitely not strong enough.

……

Deep within the decaying corridors lies the true lair of the Bloodwalkers.

The Bloodwalkers stared intently at the display screen, watching the human invaders rapidly advance their lines.

The atmosphere was heavy as lead, and the smell of preservatives in the air could not mask the anxiety and... a hint of fanatical excitement emanating from these masters of flesh and blood.

"The human invaders are advancing too fast, the Dark Angels' firepower is flawless, the Space Wolves' close-quarters combat is extremely brutal, and the White Scars' mobility combined with the vehicles they stole... It's simply a perfect massacre."

"Compared to our creations, these are the truly applicable weapons of war."

A Bloodwalker spoke in a low, chilling tone.

"Primarch... This is the first time I've ever seen these incredible creatures in person."

Another Bloodling, whose torso was encased in a huge glass life support tank filled with nutrient solution, with only his head and a few mechanical arms protruding, spoke.

His cloudy eyes were fixed on the screen showing Ryan cleaving through the thick bioceramic gate with a single sword strike, his voice filled with disbelief and astonishment.

Not a single Bloodling mourned the bio-creations being slaughtered; after all, these mass-producible creatures were just consumables, and even if they all died, new ones could be produced quickly.

What they care about is unknown knowledge, and possibilities beyond their comprehension.

"Perfect physical structure... incredible coordination and strength, far surpassing the psionic power of the Eldar on the Ark. If only I could obtain a living Primarch to study slowly..."

"Now is not the time to admire these humans' prowess, Aldrac!"

Another, even older-looking Bloodwalker, whose body was inlaid with countless shimmering, sophisticated instruments and nerve conduits, interrupted sharply.

"There is no doubt that they have come for the heart of the plague."

"The Comoros is burning, the demons from the warp are rampaging, the other conspiracies are too busy to help, and we can't mobilize enough reinforcements."

The main force of the Witchcraft Cult is entangled with the Prince of Pleasure's demons, and they are trying to find a way to escape.

A cold light flashed in the eyes of the Blood Spirit Master as he quickly analyzed the current situation.

They can lose the Corridor of Decay as a research base, but they cannot lose the Heart of Plague.

That artifact from the depths of the warp existed here before the city of Comoros was even built. No one knows where it came from or who created this unique artifact.

After the founding of Comoros, some scientists from the Ancient Empire discovered the Heart of Plague and began to study and analyze the mysteries of this warp artifact.

Through the Heart of Plague, they gained a deeper understanding of the ultimate mysteries of life. The Heart of Plague played a crucial role in the Bloodwalkers' extraordinary knowledge of biological genetics.

These are the secrets of the Blood Performers Association, passed down only among these masters of flesh and blood craftsmanship.

If that were all, after studying the Heart of Plague for so many years, the Bloodwalkers would have grasped most of the knowledge they could. However, since the birth of the Slaanesh, the Heart of Plague has played a much more important role for the Bloodwalkers.

They discovered that the power contained within the heart of the plague might be the key to breaking free from Slaanesh's curse.

From the moment of its birth, Slaanesh became a curse that no Ida could escape.

He not only slaughtered the Pantheon, but also swallowed the souls of most of the Eldar, tormenting them for eternity.

Regardless of the type of spirit race, whether it's the Ark Spirit Race that uses the Dao Path and Soul Stones to escape, or the Savage Spirit Race that chooses to revert to their ancestral ways and use a harsh life to eliminate distracting thoughts, they are all part of the spirit race.

Or perhaps it is the dark Eldar who use torture to extract souls from their victims to counteract the corruption of Slaanesh, all of whom are on the plate of the Prince of Pleasure.

Perhaps the only ones who can claim to be fearless of Slaanesh are the Eldar, who are protected by the Laughing God, but the Laughing God is nowhere to be found, and the Dark Eldar cannot force the Laughing God to protect them.

There is an inexplicable and close connection between the Slaanesh and the Eldar, which will not fade with the passage of time and space.

However, the chaotic laws of decay and rebirth contained within the Heart of Plague contain the potential to sever the connection between the Slaanesh and the Eldar.

Only rules can defy rules; the power of the Plagueheart and the power of another Chaos God, Nurgle, are essentially highly overlapping.

One of the Bloodwalkers' important research topics is to use this clash of forces to save the Dark Eldar, or rather, their own fate.

The Heart of Plague has always remained in this area. The Bloodlings have indeed tried to move it to other places, but have failed due to various difficulties.

Giving it up is tantamount to giving up the future hope of the Bloodbringer Society and even the entire Dark Eldar.

"We must guard the Corridor of Decay," declared the Bloodcraft Master Heliopolis.

"If our creations cannot withstand the combined attack of three Primarchs, then we will use the power of the Heart of Plague to enhance and amplify our bioweapons."

"Activate and unleash its power."

“Activate the Heart of Plague directly? That’s too risky. Once its psionic power is unleashed, the Dark Prince will immediately set his sights on it and absolutely forbid the use of psionic power in Comoros City,” another Bloodwalker exclaimed.

"We can't worry about that now. The Cataclysm has damaged the network barrier, and those damned warp demons have already broken in!"

"Comoros City is teeming with psionic energy, we can't just sit here and wait to die!"

"The Dark Prince has already begun to enjoy his feast. Once all those conspirators are wiped out, it will be our turn."

"Either humanity forcibly takes the Heart of Plague, or we risk using it; there is no third way." Heliopolis's voice was resolute.

"Activate the Heart of Plague, immediately!"

Upon receiving the order from Master Bloodlust, the entire academy immediately sprang into action.

Beneath the core sanctuary, within a massive cavity sealed off by layers of force fields and black stone barriers, the warp artifact known as the Heart of Plague suddenly erupted with a blinding, nauseating light.

The Heart of Plague, as its name suggests, resembles a giant, pulsating, oozing, and shimmering greenish-evil heart when viewed from above.

Near the heart of the plague, a large number of plants with fleshy textures grow in clusters, some in their prime, some just sprouting new buds, and some already withering away.

It's as if you can see traces of the cycle of life in these plants.

After the Blood Spirits activated the emergency measures, an intense current of stimulation instantly passed through the energy circuit and was applied directly to the surface of the Plague Heart.

This powerful current was enough to instantly vaporize a Predator-class Titan, but it only made the Plagueheart tremble abruptly, as if it had been startled.

The next moment, an invisible green energy wave, carrying a strong, cloying, and stale scent, instantly spread out, penetrating the barrier and spreading throughout the Bloodling experimental base.

Thousands of Bloodlink artifacts were enveloped in the energy released by the Heart of Plague, undergoing violent and unknown changes.

Even the Bloodlings themselves don't really know in what direction the bio-modified weapons affected by the Heart of Plague will evolve.

This is a completely random and uncontrolled change. If the Heart of Plague were not so important and not easily altered, the Bloodlings would have long ago used this mechanism to explore and create even more powerful creations.

The Space Marines quickly sensed the anomaly, and the pressure they were under suddenly increased.

Galad of the Dark Angels was one of the most sensitive among them. This veteran, who had participated in the Randan War and survived intact, was wielding a giant sword as tall as a man.

Although the greatsword looked bulky, in Galad's hands it was as nimble and swift as his own arm.

As the giant sword swung, it repelled and dismembered the bio-monsters that were far larger than Astartes.

Even Space Wolf or the company champions from White Scar looked up at Galad's incredible swordsmanship and power with awe.

As the First Legion, with its deepest foundation, even powerful warriors like Galad are unknown to outsiders.

Coswayne, Arajos, Astram, Luther... the strong are merely the threshold to their presence.

Galad wore a set of Ironclad Terminator armor made of adamantite. He was not an uncommon Astartes who liked to follow tradition.

As the Dark Angel wielded his greatsword, his other hand continuously pulled the trigger of the plasma gun, sending bursts of scorching high-temperature energy violently burning the remains of the bio-monster.

However, the severed flesh began to writhe wildly, the blood-spirit artifact's limbs regenerating rapidly, disgusting pustules and proliferating tissue sprouting from the wounds, its size expanding several times its original size within seconds. Several scorching hot bullets with tricky angles swept past Galad, veterans of the Dark Angels' inner circle supporting their comrades; however, the abominations blasted open by the bombs instantly sprouted twisted bone spurs and waving tentacles.

The abusers, who were fighting Galad, let out inhuman screams. Their carapaces became thicker, and highly corrosive green slime flowed from their bone blades. Their speed and strength were terrifyingly enhanced.

When the green sludge from these bone blades splattered onto the adamantite armor, this metal, which was said to be indestructible and corrosion-resistant, began to hiss and emit thick smoke, which continuously seeped into the armor.

Galad immediately changed tactics, reducing the intensity of his attack and increasing the agility of his movements.

Unlike other legions, the Dark Angels do not like to use loud battle cries to inspire their troops.

They seemed to remain silent, but within that silence, an even more violent power was brewing.

The Chronos Parasitic Engines are going berserk, and these stitched monsters, capable of draining the life and even souls of other individuals, are currently devouring the creations of other Bloodlings.

The creatures that it sucked away at their deaths were shriveled up like skin that had weathered for thousands of years. All their life force and soul were injected into the shell on its back and stored in a vacuum valve called the Soul Vortex.

When the damned monster reached its limit in absorbing souls, it suddenly exploded, engulfing dozens of Space Marines like a nuclear landmine.

Even Galad, with his unwavering will, felt a tremor run through his soul, as if a bomb had exploded in his very being, completely disregarding the protection of his power armor.

"By the Emperor! These monsters...they've mutated!"

A Dark Angel sergeant roared into the communications channel, having just severed the head of an Aetherhound with his power sword, but the next moment the decapitated body appeared behind him via phase shift, backstabbing the Space Marine with its sharp claws.

"This is the power of the heart of the plague."

"It can grant these damned monsters superhuman vitality and regenerative abilities."

"Never let your guard down until they are completely burned to ashes."

Chagatai Khan's voice was solemn like never before.

The connection to the Plague Heart within him made him feel this power most deeply, and also most disgusted by it.

Khan swung his sword even faster, creating a psionic storm that attempted to dispel the approaching poisonous fog.

Ryan's Lion Sword struck with overwhelming force, cleaving through a twisted abomination that lunged at him, its size swelling. Filthy pus and blood cascaded down like a waterfall, only to be evaporated by his psionic flames.

"Hold the line, provide long-range fire support!"

The Astartes' advancing front began to falter under the onslaught of berserk, plague-infected monsters, and casualty figures began to rise.

Just as the two sides entered a fierce battle, a Nightmare mercenary suddenly reported outside the heavy bioceramic gate of the Bloodling Experiment Base.

"Master, Asdubal Victor of the Black Heart Conspiracy requests an audience. He claims to have answered the call of the Bloodline Society to help defeat humanity!"

Master Heliopolis narrowed his cloudy eyes.

Victor? That ambitious, recently risen conspiratorial governor?

The Bloodlust has an excellent memory; he can even remember someone as insignificant as Victor.

In the Comoros, that godforsaken place where one person takes the stage after another, there are just too many conspiracies to count.

Too many conspiracies rise and then fall as quickly as fireworks.

What's Victor doing here? What's he up to?
“Let him in. I want to see what he wants to say to me.” Master Heliopolis made the decision instantly.

The situation has gotten as bad as it can get, and any change is worth a try.

The door opened, and Victor led several elite members of the Black Heart Conspiracy Group into the secret passage.

His face wore an expression that was a mixture of worry and determination, as if he were a loyal guardian of Comoros.

“Respected Master Heliopolis,” Victor said, bowing with his hand on his chest, speaking rapidly, “the human offensive is too fierce. As soon as I received the distress signal from the Bloodling Society, I led my conspiracy group to provide support.”

“My men are harassing them from the outside, but my forces are just a drop in the ocean and can’t change the overall situation, so I have a suggestion.”

"Speak!" Heliopolis's voice was unusually sharp.

“Cooperation leads to mutual benefit.” Victor said, his eyes gleaming.

"The other cabals are too busy dealing with the waves of warp demons to sacrifice themselves to help you."

“But our Black Heart Conspiracy Group is different. The moment we received the news, we brought all the troops we could mobilize to the Corridor of Decay. This is enough to show our sincerity.”

"However, we are powerless to do so. My number of Conspiracy Warriors, Nightmares, and Scourges is insufficient to deal with the three Primarchs. Therefore, I need those perfect creations crafted by the Bloodlings themselves to assist us."

"I do have some experience in commanding wars; you just need to sit in the stands and watch."

"Anyway, you didn't lose anything, did you?"

Master Bloodlust showed no surprise whatsoever. The Dark Eldar had no concept of charity; everything was merely an exchange of interests and relationships.

If Victor doesn't want anything, he'll become suspicious.

He's just a little guy trying to curry favor with the Blood Actors to gain enough support for his future rise.

The Bloodlust people have always supported some more obedient conspiracy groups to use as henchmen, and now it seems that Victor is indeed a sharp blade worth cultivating.

Master Bloodlust had also considered whether it was Victor who led humanity to such a remote place.

But the situation is urgent now, and even if it was Victor who did it, he has no choice but to grit his teeth and rely on the other party's strength.

Victor paused, lowered his voice, and continued with a subtly seductive tone.

“I have a good relationship with Candice of the Witch Spirit Cult. I had already spoken with them before coming to provide support. She can bring a group of elite Witch Spirits into the battlefield at any time.”

"Also... I've sent word to the Nightmare Lord, Derazal. If we join forces, we can definitely cripple or even annihilate these humans."

The Blood Spirits looked at each other in bewilderment.

Victor seems to be quite a talent; he actually managed to connect the Witch Spirit Cult with the power of Derazar?
This was completely unexpected by them.

But at this moment, any reinforcements are a lifeline.

"What are the follow-up conditions?" Heliopolis went straight to the point; Victor definitely wanted more.

Victor took a deep breath, as if he had made a tremendous decision.

"After defeating humanity, I also want to participate in the research on the Heart of Plague."

“I have a deep understanding of the Comoros’ past and the history of our race, and you will find it useful.”

Heliopolis stared at Victor for a few seconds, assessing the value and risks of this ambitious man.

Victor's request was beyond his expectations. In the past, the conspiracies had only asked for more drugs, more bioweapons, and more resurrection protocol support. This was the first time he had seen someone want knowledge.

Finally, Master Blood Performer nodded heavily.

"Deal made, agreement begins. I will grant you the authority to control our creations, allowing the Witch Spirits and Nightmares to attack humanity's flanks and rear. Your warriors, in coordination with the bio-creations you've learned, will apply pressure from the front. Hurry!"

“Yes, Master.” Victor’s lips curled into a barely perceptible, cold smile before he quickly turned and left.

The plan has unfolded as he predicted; humans are his pawns, and the Bloodwalkers are no exception.

He, Asdubar Victor, was the ultimate winner.

Soon, Victor issued orders to his subordinates via communicator.

"Act immediately! Launch a surprise attack from the flanks and rear of the humans and wipe them out!"

Almost at the same time the order was issued!

boom! boom! boom!
On the flank of the Dark Angels' steady advance, several dark towers suddenly exploded violently.

Accompanied by sharp, piercing battle cries like the howls of banshees, swift, alluring figures, exuding deadly killing intent, burst forth from the smoke and dust of the explosions and the shadows of the buildings.

These are the Witch Spirit Squad of the Witch Spirit Cult, powerful warriors honed in the most brutal and bloody arenas of the Comoros.

Wielding mica steel blades that gleamed with deadly poison and whips of agony, they moved with the speed of phantoms, precisely slicing into the weak points of the Astartes formation.

Their targets were very clear—joints, helmet gaps, and the connections of the power backpacks—all of which were Astartes' weakest points.

These spirits follow in the footsteps of succubi—only the most powerful, fierce, elegant, and alluring spirits are qualified to be called succubi.

They wore no protective gear and were dressed in very little clothing, but their skin had few noticeable wounds or scars.

Meanwhile, in the shadows behind the human formation, the air rippled like water.

Without any warning, several warriors clad in jet-black armor, like flowing shadows, appeared out of thin air.

They are the most terrifying assassins under the command of Drajar, the Lord of Nightmares. These elites of the Nightmares, relying on their agility and skills, can carry out assassinations as if they were teleporting.

Their sharp blades descended silently, inflicting heavy damage on Astartes.

On the main battlefield, Victor took over command of the Blood Spirit artifacts and immediately demonstrated a completely different level of coordination.

The Bloodlings do create biological weapons, but they are not good at commanding combat.

"Those Dark Eldar still betrayed us."

"That little bastard named Victor."

Ruth astutely detected the movements of the ruthless conspiracy group.

His giant axe tore apart a shamanic spirit that had overestimated itself and charged at him, and the Primarch's rage grew even stronger.

The succubi of the Witchcraft Cult are fearless, daring to challenge even formidable enemies like the Primarch.

Of course, the result of the challenge was that in the blink of an eye, Lemanrus tore off the head of a charming and pitiful succubus, a star stripper in the arena.

The woman, Ida, still had horrified eyes when Lemanrus used her spine as a whip to lash out, cleaving a Nightmare in two.

Ryan's eyes burned with cold fury as he swept his lion sword, forcing back a giant monster, about seven or eight meters tall, that charged at him.

Chagatai's figure weaved through the chaotic battlefield, dodging the sharp blades of the witch spirits and the assassinations of the nightmares.

He paid no attention to these weak enemies, his gaze piercing through the chaos, fixed on the increasingly intense aura of the Heart of Plague.

Clearly, the Dark Eldar did not know what the Heart of Plague was, nor did they know that Nurgle was stubbornly searching for it, hoping to bring it back to the Plague Gardens.

If the Heart of Plague is fully awakened, then we're in big trouble.

"The target is right ahead. Concentrate your forces and break through them!"

Chagatai's voice, like the cry of an eagle piercing through a storm, pointed the legion, which was besieged on three sides, to its final destination.

(End of this chapter)